Refinishing a small section of old tongue & groove oak floor

Old house, original solid oak flooring. Had it sanded and refinished 13
years ago when we bought the house. Most is in decent condition.
But, there's a full length mirror on the back of a closet door that has
ruined the floor in that area.
Can you guess?
I have a teenage daughter. She is often found in front of that mirror,
often with wet feet, dripping hair and assorted sprayable toxins in hand.
So anyway ... how best to fix it?
There was a more extreme (but thankfully limited) accident involving
nail polish remover earlier this year. It left a few square inches
nearly bare of finish and rough to the touch. I sanded it with a detail
sander and put a couple of coats of poly over it (steel wool
in-between), the same poly that was originally used. While the spot was
visible on close inspection right after the repair (it was newer-looking
and glossier, naturally), it has grown even less conspicuous since then
as people wear it down.
The area I want to repair now is much bigger, maybe 2 square feet. And
rather than a "clean" spot that had a chemical dropped on it all at
once, this area looks dirty as well as worn down.
I have access to a belt sander (hand-held, old), which seems like my
best option, if I can keep it from becoming a Go-Kart. But what grit,
kind of "paper", etc? I also have a half-sheet orbital, which seems like
too much finesse and not enough beef. Are there any other good options
(chemicals? scrapers?)
Tips greatly appreciated.

Bingo! A card scraper will make short work of stripping off the old
finish and getting down to fresh wood. After you apply the poly and
let it set up for a while so it's fully cured, you can use some very
fine steel wool to lightly scuff the finish so it will blend it
better.
R

The OP is only going to be scraping ~2 SF. Filed or burnished won't
make a big difference in this instance. He's also on the verge of
coming over to the Bright Side - hand tools. He needs to use the card
scraper to access the Force.
R

Of all the tips I got in the plane threads, I find the card scrapers the
most seductive. I intend to try them out soon...
<yoda> "Do or do not. There is no try" </yoda>
... but I wonder if a more prosaic scraper would be more suitable for
this particular job. You know the type, a handle with a slight crook in
it, a reversible scraper blade?

Sure, but I want you to get a card scraper soon so you can write a
post that says, "God, I love this thing!" I'm getting impatient. ;)
There are a whole host of scrapers that would work. Stanley made a
bunch or different scrapers and scraper planes. Take a look at
Stanley models 80, 81, 12, 12 1/2, 82, 282, 112, 212. There are
others, but those come to mind.
R

Yes, you could have her use one of those while you wait for your
cabinet scrapers to come in the mail. Just make sure she holds it flat
to the surface. They will certainly gouge deeper than a card scraper
can. Amazon/LVT sourcing below, for your convenience:
http://goo.gl/R5ybW angled set, http://goo.gl/ZrKsW rectangular set.
http://goo.gl/r8Hp6 angles, http://goo.gl/ESJhA hard milled rect.
I tend to like the middle & thicker sizes the best.
Heads up for LVT, guys:
FREE SHIPPING On orders $40 or more placed Sept 16 to Sept 26, 2011*
I found a scraper file holder, plane blade holder, and saw set in a $2
box of garage sale hardware once, so I lucked out. I seldom pull a
burr on a scraper, either. If I do, I use a hardened screwdriver
shank. I don't own a real burnisher. Filed and honed scrapers are just
fine for me in terms of aggressiveness.
--
Self-development is a higher duty than self-sacrifice.
-- Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Or just score and break up an old hand saw into scraper size pieces and use
that. Should be around 0.040 thick which ought to be a medium I think. I have
a chunk of one in my 80 and it works fine. Should also make a good card
scraper, especially if you make a scraper holder to get a bow on the blade with
no effort. It's a little softer than a Sandvik but it doesn't take much to
sharpen one, and even less to return the burr.

I have a Two Cherries burnisher, but only because I got it for 60% off when the
Cutting Edge went out of business. I too used a screwdriver shank for several
years before I got the burnisher. I can't say I see any improvement over the
screwdriver.

If you pretend you never said that, I'll pretend you aren't one of
those saw painters, either. Harrumpf!
--
Shake off all the fears of servile prejudices, under which weak minds
are servilely crouched. Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call on her
tribunal for every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the
existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of
the homage of reason than that of blindfolded fear.
-- Thomas Jefferson

Nah. I rarely paint anything except cherry, and even then only paint cherry
when I can't get the stain to take right.
I have a fairly recent Great Neck I picked up in a group of saws that have a
more desirable lineage. The GN is earmarked for scraper blades. It came pre
rusted, dull and with a plastic handle. I don't lay awake at night worrying
about its fate.
It served as the sacrificial blade in my first attempts at sharpening a handsaw.
My next plan was originally to break it up for scraper blades, but now thanks to
your input, I think I'll paint some sort of pastoral scene on it.
I know! I'll paint it green like a meadow, and all those pointy teeth will look
like blades of grass sticking up out of the field. Maybe I'll even paint a cow
and a chicken out in the field. Then I'll cut it up. I hear green scraper
blades, specially if they have a cow and a chicken on them, cut better than
regular ones.
Thanks for the advice, Larry! I'll take pictures.
<BSWG> Roy

Screwdrivers might, or might not, be hard enough to
use for burnishers. Most will need polishing before
they'll turn a smooth burr. My favorite homemade
burnisher is a crank spindle from an old ten speed,
alloy is probably 10100 with a pinch of boron for
extra hardening.

----------------------------
That's the best place to keep a belt sander.
IMHO, they are a disaster waiting to happen in most applications.
BTW, have a P/C "Choo-Choo" F/S, if anybody is interested.
Lew

I had actually considered that, using the quart can from the garage
rather than the bottle from the medicine cabinet. I think the dirt, or
discoloration, may require some mechanical abrasion anyway, so that may
be me first route.

If the area is only 2 sq ft, sand it by hand.... that's your best
option. After sanding, re-evaluate the dirtiness and/or any stain
(water type blackness or such??). I wouldn't think you can reasonably
assess your refinishing procedure until after you remove the dirtiness
(and/or discoloration, if applicable) and the other damaged "crud"
from the affected surface.
If your first coat of refinish result is too light of color, in
appearance, compared to the older undamaged areas, you might consider
putting a tint/toner in your subsequent top coats, to match the older
coloration. A ScotchBrite pad will knock down any excess shine of the
newly refinish area, also.
Sonny

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